


Apology

by unlockthelore



Series: Peace Is A Journey [1]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Established Relationship, Gen, Introspection, Post-Canon, Recovered Memories
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-09
Updated: 2020-09-09
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:27:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 909
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26049508
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unlockthelore/pseuds/unlockthelore
Summary: On a quiet night, Aang remembers the past and is visited by a welcomed soul.
Relationships: Aang & Zuko (Avatar)
Series: Peace Is A Journey [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1890979
Comments: 4
Kudos: 40





	Apology

**Apology**

The nights spent on an open terrace overlooking the expanse of the Fire Nation’s capital were always the quietest. Away from the hustle and bustle of winding streets, beneath awnings of deep reds and orange, silence reigned. Aang couldn’t place the homeliness he felt while wandering the palace grounds. Or the sullen weight resting in his chest as he sat, cross-legged on the terrace’s cool stones. Hours ago, they were sun-warmed and glistening, swaths of light chasing away shadows beneath a towering cedar tree. It was there where Aang stayed, his hands pressed firmly to his knees as he stared at the flickering lights as beautiful as the sky above. 

He breathed in deeply, allowing his inner flame to ward off the night’s chill. Sokka would scold him for not taking his outer robes with him when he went _adventuring_. It’d be terrible if the Avatar were to catch a cold and not be able to attend any of the meetings for which he was scheduled. A small smile tugged at Aang’s lips as the cold ebbed away, wind rustling the canopy of leaves overhead, gentle breezes rolling through the clipped grass brushing against the soles of his feet.

The desire to kick off his boots and to bury his toes in the earth had overcome him hours ago. It would only be a matter of time before one of his friends or an attendant found them somewhere near the southern exit where he had slipped past a few of the guards as they rounded for patrol. Shoulders loosened and head tipped back, Aang’s smile twitched at the corners as he curled his toes, recalling faintly that it would be any moment now.

For what? He wasn’t sure.

Perhaps the anticipation was a lingering effect of Roku’s memories. Long ago, when the Fire Nation had been his home. The streets seemed vaguely familiar to Aang, although he couldn’t quite place certain areas. Nostalgia took him from one corner of the land to another, and it often left him displaced, at which point his friends would bring him back to reality — the reality that Avatar Roku was gone, and with him, many of the people who knew and cared for him as well. 

_I wonder if every Avatar suffered that loss._

With a light tug, Aang undid the bundle tied around his neck, setting it down in front of him. He was grateful that the incense sticks hadn’t been crushed with how tightly they were packed together. Setting them down on the small stand he’d procured from a merchant after insisting that he should pay his fair share, Avatar or not, he lit the incense, then set down a small offering. His hands pressed to his thighs as he shifted to sit with his legs tucked beneath him, gazing down at the burning wood.

When his eyes closed, the world became one of pure sensation. Ashes kindled within a hearth, the sharpened edge of leather, and the musk of spices threaded with steel. Sandalwood, undercut with moss and the bittersweet undercurrent of fruit. Fruit he would never be able to find again with how charred the temples’ gardens had been. Foreign spices, unknown to him, bled into healing herbs and sweet plums. He could almost taste them — the best being the ones he _didn’t_ get caught taking from the elders’ trees. 

Spiral staircases, whooping laughter as children danced on balls of air or ran through the streets, flicking light embers at one another. Stolen desserts and molten sweets which melted in the mouth. Guffawing laughter and quiet chuckles in tea rooms connected to spacious halls. Familiar faces, heads shaven, some adorned with arrows while others without. Some with greyed eyes, others with golden, bespeaking wisdom or youthful indulgence.

People who resembled him, who knew him, who _needed_ him.

People who felt he betrayed them, who suffered fighting against him, who he loved to his last breath.

Three soft claps gained Aang’s attention. He blinked away the wetness gathered on his eyelashes and glanced aside at the young man knelt with his head held high. There was a noticeable tiredness, a slump in his shoulders, golden eyes observing the display. Only one of his hands rested upon his leg while the other was hidden from view. His sleep robes, messily askew, must’ve been hastily pulled on, considering his bed hair was also sticking up everywhere. 

“Firelord Zuko,” Aang greeted with a tight smile, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly as his boots were set down in the small space between them. ”I didn’t know you got up this early.”

“I don’t,” Zuko grumbled, his voice rough with sleep. Despite the tiredness in his eyes, he glanced over and tipped his head to one side. “You shouldn’t be alone.”

They sat in silence, the incense filling the air with a familiar scent. Aang wondered for a moment if Zuko would recognize it. Perhaps not. While he was a reincarnation of Zuko’s ancestors, Zuko was not Roku or Sozin, nor was he beholden to what Sozin had done. Still — it would have been nice to have someone who remembered.

Aang hadn’t noticed his vision was blurring until he felt the comforting warmth of a rough palm pressed to his shoulder. A gentle squeeze, reassuring and grounding, let him blink the tears to fall. As they rolled down his cheeks, his vision cleared, and he smiled at Zuko thankfully.

“… Welcome home, Aang.” 

**Author's Note:**

> Long story short, Aang feels a lot of guilt. Not only from his current life but his past incarnations and the ghosts of their memories. I wonder if he's ever haunted by familiar sensations or this nostalgia that he can't quite shake. After the episode where he was being prosecuted for "Kyoshi's crimes" and the one where the Fire Sages mentioned Roku but also mentioned their changing allegiance - I wonder how he felt.
> 
> He's both his own person but he's all of these people who made vastly different decisions. Decisions that weigh upon his soul even though his identity is different. It's a lot to think about. Certainly more than needs to be brought up at four in the morning, haha. 
> 
> Anyway, thank you so much for reading and I'm glad I could contribute to the Avatar fandom. If you'd like to check out my original writing, find me on Tapas where I'm writing **Oathbound**. I'm also on Tumblr, Twitter, Instagram, and Pillowfort under **unlockthelore**.
> 
> See you later!


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